Everyone loves a good story.
This is why we embrace movies, plays, books and music. Stories have inspired and connected tribes of people since the beginning of time.
What if you had the power to tell your real estate business's story in a way that was easy and fun to an audience that actually wanted to hear from you?
Welcome to the world of Instagram–the social platform that allows you to share what is going on in your real estate business and life via picture, short videos and stories.
Before we get into the tactical growth methods you can use on Instagram, it’s important to get familiar with the overall strategy you should consider when using any social platform to drive growth in business.
Document and share. Sell lightly. Never Spam.
This is going to sound odd, but most people don’t buy products and services. They buy the stories they tell themselves about how their lives will be easier or better by hiring a product to solve a problem or create an opportunity for them. In this case they are buying the experience of working with you as an agent and the house of their dreams.
Deep psychological stuff, right?
There’s so much psychology associated with sales and marketing and the one universal truth is that your clients and prospects typically don’t care about you. They care about themselves and how you make their lives better through helping them buy or sell their place.
Combine this truth with a platform like Instagram that allows you to participate in their story and you can use this trust to build a strong relationship with your audience.
How can your story be found?
It seems like everyone is on Instagram. This is awesome news for real estate agents but it also comes with challenges. These tips should help you connect with those who support your business’s growth:
- Use relevant hash tags to get discovered
Before you start posting, it’s worth the time investment to create a master list of hash tags that you will use on most of your posts. Aim to create 15-20 of them based on three categories: Your product (real estate)/service (how you make the process awesome), your personal brand and your location.
A useful tool to discover hash tag volume is https://web.stagram.com. It can help you discover new hash tags that are relevant to your offering.
Once you have a master list of hash tags built drop it into Evernote or a Google Doc that you can easily pull up when you are posting. Copy and paste them into your post and add/modify based on what you are posting.
2) Create a daily documentary
Do you think your business is boring and that no one will care to view your photos or videos?
Think of your Instagram account as a “behind the scenes” documentary, giving your customers a peek into the operations of your real estate business. This is where you get to make even the most mundane journey, like hanging out at a home inspection, a fun one.
By documenting what is going on in your real estate business, the fun times and the not-so-fun times, you can let people conduct a virtual ride along with you. You get to make your personal brand human and you get to make real connections.
People like to do business with other people, not companies. Tell compelling stories and you will have a leg up on your competition
3) Be consistent
The key to success in any marketing strategy is consistency. If you can’t commit the time to executing on your strategy then it is better to not do it or outsource. For the record, Instagram is one of the few social channels you shouldn’t outsource due its personal nature. If you can’t commit to consistently interacting with your Instagram followers, this might not be your best platform.
4) Engage with others
Your content strategy is just one component of smart adoption of Instagram. You should also:
- Engage with others via commenting
- Follow back relevant followers
- Follow companies/people who make sense for your company
As with any huge social platform there are hundreds of tools and tips that can help you gain a competitive advantage. If you adopt a storytelling mindset and can back it up with the correct hashtags and engagement strategies, then you will have covered 80% of what will help you move the needle.
Good luck and let me know how you are using Instagram to move the needle in your real estate career!
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